This is why I always call myself a woodworker never an Artist. It is difficult to envoke feelings from furniture. I have love when I make my creations , but I can never show love in a piece of furniture like an artist that paints a two dimensional canvas say of Mother and child . The technical aspect and rules of joinery dictate the way we show our heart to the world . This is why I say I am not an artist but a Woodworker I know alot of artist but I am just a woodworker. It’s also a humbling feeling to be grounded to say I am a craftsman who works with things from Mother nature.

-- "The hand is the cutting edge of the mind but the wind and sun are the healing factors of the heart

I see the craftsman as being proficient in the execution of designs in woodworking but not so much so in the creation of designs concepts from scratch. The artist is proficient in design concepts but not so much in the execution of those ideas into the three dimensional world of woodworking. Which leads to a third category of artisan, a combination of the two in a single person.

-- "The way to make a small fortune in woodworking- start with a large one"

One of the most popular theories taught in Psych 101, and every Supervision text or Human Resources class is Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Human Needs. Once you’ve been exposed to this treatise, the hands, head, heart thing becomes kinda irrelevant. The concept more clearly illustrates why one person may be happy with his crude, hacked out wooden garden tote, while another person stresses over the smallest detail of his elaborate hand-carved museum-worthy Henry VIII chest of drawers. The crutch of labeling is of little real importance, in my opinion. Oh, wait, hmmm perhaps having that hands, head and heart thing is in itself somewhere in that hierarchy. Discuss among yourselves!

-- Einstein: "The intuitive mind is a sacred gift, and the rational mind is a faithful servant. We have created a society that honors the servant and has forgotten the gift." I'm Poopiekat!!

I personally have never put a label on what I might consider myself to be. I have always just done what I enjoy doing and am passionate about. I do not feel the need to put a title on who I think I am.

Many people have an ego that makes them feel the need to call themselves an artist, craftsman or whatever.. Don’t notice too many people labeling themselves as a laborer out of ego. We have all seen many humble people create fantastic creations and at the other end of the spectrum have seen those calling themselves master craftsmen artists, etc.. who produce poor work by the standards of others.

Woodworking in my opinion is a form of art, in reality most of us don’t just follow plans we give our own spin on things that we’ve seen that inspires us. Like painting there are many different styles. Realism, Abstract, and so on. The way I look at it, if someone is a great realistic painter, what are they, a painter or an artist? I believe we are all artists/craftsman some heavier one way than the other.

Interesting point of view. Now I’m wondering why your business is called Art House Studio? If you don’t see yourself as an artist, then why portray that to customers?

I try not to classify myself as an artist, but I have been called one before. I can most definitely say that I put my hands, mind and heart into what I do, but still don’t find the need to call myself an artist.